check check check >> much of the country is bracing for an icy blast of winter weather. the deep freeze is bringing the coldest temperatures the.s. felt in 20 years. >> bitter fighting in iraq as al qaeda militants tlant to take control of several major cities. it will help the iraqi government but will not put troops on the yound. >> secretary of state john kerry calling for a ceasefire in south sudan. he calls for a stop to the violence before it becomes an all-out war. >> new rules to ensure commercial pilots get enough sleep.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. dangerously cold weather is descending on a big part of the county. forecasters warn that a widespread arctic blast known as the polar vortex threatens to bling a chill not felt in 20 years. some parts of the country could dip below 40 degrees below normal. the northern flames and the upper mid west bracing for weather of minus 60. authorities warn of frostbite and hypothermia. juan carlos molina has more. >> across the midsection, north, south and south-east - cold snow and whipped are bringing -- wind are bringing cities to a stand still. it's part of the polar vortex.

it's normal to push the weather to the south, this winter is different. >> areas that are accustomed to cold temperatures have not seen this degree of cold air in 20 years. in some cases we see record lows or highs set. >> the plummeting temperatures combined with the winds are causing windchill factors leading to frostbite and hypothermia in a matter of minutes. when you talk about temperature that are 50 or 60 below, most don't appreciate the fact that five minutes of exposed skin can have a serious impact. >> the weather is welcome news. minnesota is closing all public schools state wide monday, the first time. the city of chicago following suit, shutting schools. nashville cancelled classes through tuesday. the mayor of minneapolis closed

schools and roads, making it illegal to drive unless they are emergency personnel or seeking shelter. >> this weather combination with the snow and cold an unlike what we have seen. >> people in wisconsin are stacking up. >> i want to make sure i have a full fridge in case it's ugly for the next couple of days. >> in new york city it's warm enough where some snow is melting. there's accumulation and over the next couple of days it will be warm enough for it to melt. come tuesday, new york city will see another deep freeze. that could mean headaches or travellers, who saw delays and the closure of j.f.k. international where a plane slid off a slick run way. this was the scene in jacksonville florida, it will not last long.

the vort ex is expected to bring freezing temperatures to the florida panhandle and southern states over the next few days. >> well, the arctic outbreak is in full affect across the northern plains, due to the arctic air coming in off the north pole, through canada into the united states. let's take a look at what the wind chills were feeling like 10:00 p.m. earlier, minus 63. i'll put this into motion, and you can see as we go to the next 24 hours, how cold it will get across the region, minus 70. as we go through monday afternoon, indianapolis will feel like minus 45, and cincinnati not far band at minus 47. morning lows are brutal.

fargo, minus 27. indianapolis, besides the snow that you are having now, about minus 18 for you there. >> now, as we go into the rest of the day on monday, the snow will exit out here to the east. for the north-east it will be pretty bad. we'll see the highs come up not too much because indianapolis, you'll see a high of minus 1. look at the trend for minneapolis, we'll see cold temperatures on monday, making its way on tuesday, getting above zero on wednesday. by friday you are back to your normal temperatures. here across the north-east there's a mix of weather. fog down here across parts of new york, ice across parts of pennsylvania as well as new york, and what will happen in new york city - 49 degrees today, tuesday that temperature is dropping to 12, and not coming up until we get to the

end of the week. >> secretary of state john kerry says the u.s. will not send troops to iraq to help with the growing violence. kerry's assertion comes as the iraqi government says it has retaken the city of ramadi from al qaeda fighters. iraq's army is on the edge of iraq and fallujah. >> after a standoff lasting days the iraqi army is ready to go into the city of fallujah, fighting the i.s.i.l. the agreement to do so was hard-fought. >> sunni tribes insisted they be part of the operation. others disagreed saying i.s.i.l. fighters were protecting fallujah. the standoff is an indication of the sunni tribes and the shia led province. nouri al-maliki has his agreement and is poised to act

>> translation: there's increased coordination with the army and tribesman. the army supplies the tribes with weapons. it will be resolved within one or two days. >> that may well be optimistic. the iraqi army sent out a video, they are limited to the cities. other strongholds are in the desert in the boarder with syria, getting rid of the fighters will be challenging. adding to the ones of the government are critics of the prime minister. >> we call on the government to meet demands of the people, not related to terrorism by any means. if there's a further escalation here, worse things may happen, especially because of what is happening in the region. >> the reason for the criticism is simply. general elections are scheduled for april. the political parties are looking to get themselves in the best position they can, forcing

nouri al-maliki to take the blame for the worst conscious in iraq, a fact unscored by the car bombs ripping through the country. >> secretary of state john kerry says the obama administration is concerned about the return of al qaeda to anbar. it was an area that saw fierce fighting ever u.s. entered iraq in 2003. here is some more context. a year ago sunni tribes protested in anbar, demanding the release of detainees. the prime minister tried to respond with reforms, but members of sunni and political parties blocked the move. the al qaeda-led group was formed. playing on fears of domination, support for the movement, and last week the i.s.i.l. fighters defeated a faction of the iraqi army, nouri al-maliki sent

soldiers to anmar to break up the protest, triggering the latest fighting. >> that same al qaeda group is not only operating in iraq, but syria. the i.s.i.l. fighters killed at least 50 rival rebels. zeina khodr reports from lebanon where the violence is spreading. >> syria's armed opposition is pushing forward with what seems to be a coordinated offensive against the islamic state in iraq and the levant. the al qaeda-linked group is pushed out of its base, a war declared by some forces who believe some i.s.i.l. haven't been working in their interests. the foreign fighters have created mini states in many areas, imposing laws which many in the opposition believe are

brutal. i.s.i.l., for its part, has threatened to withdraw its fighters from the front lines, if attacks against it continue, warning that regime forces will be able to retake aleppo. in an audio recording the i.s.i.l. said it was being stabbed in the mack by some groups involved in a conspiracy that seeks to get rid of al qaeda, before planned peace talks in geneva. rebel commanders deny they are waging the war on behalf of the international community. there are some people who believe it has to do with geneva. >> what we are seeing now is fighting over who is going to be the negotiator with the regime. so far there is no unified opposition. actually, there is a lot of infighting in order to produce a negotiator. >> the syrian national

coalition, the main group in exile through support and arrived the international community to recognise supporting international forces in partners in the fight against al qaeda. the syria conflict spread, so, too, al qaeda's interest. the islamic state of iraq and levant emerged a few years ago. the vacuum caused by the war in syria allowed it to set up base and it has a presence now in neighbouring lebanon. it claimed responsibility for the latest attack targetting shi'ite supporters of hezbollah. the war against i.s.i.l. may not have only been declared in syria. authorities in iraq and lebanon are trying to wipe out the group. this may not be an easy battle. another reminder that syria's war does not have boarders. >> and syrian peace talks in

geneva are scheduled for january 22nd. >> president obama is returning to a chilly washington d.c. after a 2-week hawaiian vacation. the president is ready to tackle his legislative agenda. at the top of the list lobbying lawmakers to extend unemployment benefits. mr obama said: >> congress is getting back to work. 2014 is an election year, which will shape their agenda. republicans plan to scrutinise the president's affordable care act, and democrats say they'll focus on bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. lawmakers will hit the ground running. the republican-led house hits

the ground running. senate democrats will raise the minimum wage from $7.25. they'll vote an extending jobless benefits - that is expected today. the senate expected to vote on the domination of janet yellen as the head of the federal reserve. >> there are rules about rest of airline pilots. it lays out how and when crews unfortunate rest. >> we have more on what this means for pilots and travellers. >> the federal aviation administration requires that before going on duty commercial pilots get at least 10 hours of rest between shift, including 8 hours of unintercepted sleep. in the past pilots could spend the eight hours getting to and from the hotel, showering and eating. under the new rules pilots must have 30 consecutive hours of rest, a 25% increase from

previousous regulations and limit the time in the cockpit to eight or nine hour, depending on when the flight begins. the rules come in effect an society. delta airlines started to follow the guidelines on wednesday. the largest poiments union, the airlines pilot association welcomed the regulations explaining they were long overdue, adding they fall short. unfortunately the regulations have a critical shortfall, they exclude cargo airmine pilots. it's clear that they experience flight in the same ways, whether airlines or cargo. cargo pilots filed a lawsuit against the faa for excluding them. alpa official told al jazeera they are pushing for the faa regulations to be implemented

internationally. with the new rules and planned retirement, which may be delayed, some airlines say they are ready hiring pilots to deal with the regulations. one of the things the fa recognises is all passenger operations will have the same fatigue rules when it comes to pilots. in a sense, the old rules look at the operation as determining what fatigue they'll have. it's based on human performance. >> the faa implemented changes after a 2009 airline crash near buffalo killed 50. pilot fatigue contributed to the crash. the push is to combat fatigue. monitoring that is up to the pilots. an app has been created to track how many hours have been worked

and slept. >> jetblue filed a complaint saying they have a shortage of pilots. airlines have two years to prepare for the changes. >> a south sudan stalemate. talks to end the violence there - why they are being delayed. violence in the streets of bangladesh, impacts clashes between police and protesters are having on the elections. finding solace through sport. how soccer is helping african migrants transition to a new home.

>> along with his announcement that u.s. troops will not return to iraq. secretary of state john kerry made several headlines as he continues his middle east tour. iran, who is not invited to the peace talks can play a role from the sidelines. the puzzle is more defined. as for south sudan, john kerry told both sides that upcoming peace talks cannot be a delay gimmick to continue the fighting. as gerald tan reports, the talks were delayed on sunday as the violence rages on in south sudan. >> april 2013. sudanese president omar al bashir on his first visit to juba since south sudan's dependence, marking a stunning turn of events following two years of frosty relations with the neighbours engaging in war about oil. basheer is returning to the

south. this time to address internal fighting that has already killed more than 1,000 people since december. >> this is one of the surprises of this crisis, that the government in juba appears to be mortgaging its nationalist credentials, so serious is the challenge to authority. >> for the past three weeks, fighting has been raging across south sudan. the national army loyal to the president is betting rebels loyal to the secretary sacked. salva kiir says the violence began as a coup attempt, an allegation that the warring faction te nice. >> the ceasefire talks cannot get off ut ground, the rebels demanding captured leaders be freed. >> we came here to talk peace without conditions.

to tell us to release the people so we talk is a condition, and we are not ready to accept precontinue. >> the political struggle has another dimension. the president is from the dinka community, his opponent nuer. the supporters are settling scores with gunfire. it forced more than 200,000 from their homes, and the u.n. is scrambling to protect them, homing to avert a humanitarian crisis. the government and the rebels want peace, but there's little sign that either side is willing to lay down their weapons. >> now, fighting sunday in the south sudan capital of juba delayed the peace talks in neighbouring yooeth i don't knowia, fighting out -- yooeth i don't knowa, fighting broke out for an hour. >> bangladesh's party aiming to set up a new party after an

election marred by violence. >> protesters ran for cover as police fired on demonstrators. 19 people have been killed so far. act visits boycotted the election, torching polling places. voting turn out was 20%, less than the turn out in 2008. jonah hull reports from bangladesh, where critics wanted the prime minister to step down and a neutral observer to oversee the elections. >> there are indications that there'll be no let-up in the pressure applied to the government by the opposition, even as it walks away with victory from the one-sided election, even as it prepares to set up a new government and cabinet to carry on, the opposition announces a nation-wide strike to commence monday morning, carrying on from the 48 hour nation-wide strike that has been held over the election period.

the indication then, that the violence will continue at similar levels, and the economy will continue to hurt as it has done over the recent months of violence in the build-up to the election, an economy growing well in recent years, but which has taken enormous damage, with millions of people risking falling back into poverty because they can't sustain the political turmoil. that is the pressure center hurting the government most. as much as the government will want to the system, as much as the government will want to claim form of legitimacy from the election, it will not be able to sustain a failing economy. that is what the opposition is aiming to achieve. at some point they'll have to reach an accommodation. the government indicated that it might be willing to go to elections, but only on its terms. so far there's no sign of the

opposition backing off. a deadlock is where the country is headed. more of the same in the days to come. >> jonah hull reporting from dakar. pro-government bank running unopposed. >> the italian navy says it has rescued more than 1,000 african migrants, for some proposing the journey are finding solace. >> it's a day of celebration in one of the biggest asylum seeker centres. the first sunday of the year is like new year's day. to another group of migrants every sunday is special. they are the first ever professional team made entirely of asylum seekers to play in an italian junior football league. hailed as an example of

integration, they say this is a way of winning freedom. >> i feel happy. i feel good. i'm so happy, proud of myself. >> i wanted my dream to come true. when i'm in nigeria, i play. >> they are 22 of the 4,000 migrants waiting to learn their fate in this former american military residence turned into asylum seeking centres. this content is rife. asylum seekers are supposed to send 35 days in ones like this. some told us they've been here for as long as a year. they don't know where they'll leave or go next. >> the director of the center

says integration is next to impossible if migrants don't move on. migrants can leave the place as soon as possible. the longer they stay the harder it makes it on all of us. >> while the football team profess to be a winner refugees know being granted asylum is a different ball game. >> more than 400 migrants drowned last october in two shipwrecks near the island of lampedusa. it's the closest territory to south africa. >> dangerous weather expanding its grip. why outdoor enthusiasts are not letting frigid temperatures get in their way.

>> with most of the u.s. facing record-low temperatures, many are prepared for the worst. winter sports lovers are

ignoring warnings to stay inside. some were on the frozen waters of michigan. >> you might think nobody knows cold weather like an ice fisherman. >> if the fish are biting, i don't care how cold it is. there we go. >> most have never experienced the cold weather expected to blanket half the united states. who better to ask about who to handle temperatures of 10, 20, 30 below, than a man on a bucket full of fish. >> if your feet get cold, you are miserable. your feet and your head. if you keep your feet and head warm, the rest you can tolerate. >> when you are out in the cold you have to dress right. >> is it too cold to be on the ice? >> the coldest weather i fished in is minus 10. it is blizzard conditions. 30-40 mile an hour winds.

it was crazy weather. >> as far as the temperature goes, i don't let it affect my fish. >> sure, many have small tents with heaters, but others, like chuck marshall and mike prefer being outside, exposed to the elements. >> always bring more than you thing you need because it's colder than you think. >> as long as your power doesn't go out you should be right. >> that's right, and the furnace. >> others shop, these fishermen stay on the ice and wait for the next bite. >> i have something big here. >> there's your bass. >> perhaps the best bit of advice for surviving sub zero temperatures is the one you won't hear from the fishermen on the ice - stay inside.

>> that is hard core. that will do it for this edition of al jazeera. thanks for watching. >> hello, i'm richard g gizberg. now you know, how a special blue the whistle on the nsa. into the data banks of silicon valley giants, and the private communication he of millions of citizens around the world.